Five miles east of the Secluded Manor lay Cloud Mist Mountain, though one could already admire the mountain's elegant grandeur across the four seasons from the manor grounds.
Two paths led from the Secluded Manor to Cloud Mist Mountain: one was the official road, frequently used by young nobles from the capital for leisure excursions; the other was a narrow trail forged by local hunters over the years. Though less even than the official route, this path offered seclusion and tranquility, with a shorter distance to boot.
Wei Rao always took this smaller trail.
When the four cousins reached the trailhead, they found only three or four sets of footprints marring the vast expanse of white snow.
"Let's race to the mountain foot!" Wei Rao proposed cheerfully, pointing toward the trail's end.
Huo Jue glanced worriedly at Zhou Huizhu's horsemanship—their youngest cousin was merely thirteen. Could she handle this?
Noticing her cousin's gaze, Huizhu pouted. "Don't underestimate me, cousin! I've been riding since I was ten. I can handle mountain trails, let alone this flat path."
Wei Rao chimed in, "Exactly! Don't be like those fussy men who act as if seeing women ride is as shocking as watching men embroider eyebrows. We sisters dared to come out today because we possess real riding and hunting skills. Stop worrying and focus on competing with us!"
Chastised by both cousins, Huo Jue chuckled apologetically. "My mistake. Very well, I'll give you a proper race today."
Despite his words, he deliberately held back at the start, letting the three girls take the lead while he trailed behind, ready to assist should any mishap occur.
Wei Rao, however, harbored no such concerns. Cousin Huizhu's riding skills matched her own—living in the manor allowed frequent riding practice. As for cousin Huo Lin, Wei Rao had observed her mounting and rein-handling posture earlier—clearly an experienced rider. How could the daughter of an aunt renowned for horsemanship be anything less?
Thus, once the race began, Wei Rao charged forward without hesitation.
Her white horse galloped across the snow, nearly blending into the crystalline whiteness. The red-clad woman on its back resembled a crimson phoenix finally freed from its cage, soaring joyously along the snowy path. The spring wind carried the crisp fragrance of melting ice, and when Wei Rao inhaled deeply, it felt like drinking celestial dew, cleansing away the worldly dust accumulated in the capital.
At the mountain foot where the trail ended, Wei Rao reined in her horse and turned with a brilliant smile.
The pearls on her hat gleamed, yet they paled beside the radiance of her clear phoenix eyes and delicate, fair complexion.
Zhou Huizhu and Huo Lin were busy competing for second place, paying little attention to Wei Rao. But Huo Jue's gaze had snapped toward her the moment she turned, only to falter immediately, unable to sustain the sight of her beauty.
The more intently he looked, the deeper he'd fall—and Wei Rao was never meant to walk the same path as him.
With Wei Rao and Zhou Huizhu leading, the four cousins trotted along the mountain base for quarter of an hour before halting.
Huo Jue peered toward the slopes. While other areas were dense with deciduous forests, a faint footpath visibly parted the trees here.
"With snow covering the mountains, it's easy to misstep. Let's not climb today—we'll explore the foothills and hunt whatever we chance upon," Wei Rao decided. Adventurous as she was, she prioritized safety.
Huo Jue sighed in relief, having feared the girls might insist on ascending.
Dismounting, the four tied their horses to nearby trees."Could someone steal the horses?" Huo Lin looked around, somewhat worried.
Zhou Huizhu laughed. "Sister Lin, don't worry. These horses bear our Zhou family's mark. Common thieves wouldn't dare provoke us."
Only prominent noble families in the capital would dare mock the Zhou family. Ordinary commoners only knew that Emperor Yuanjia respected Shou An Jun, that the Zhou family had Li Guiren who had borne the emperor a son, and that there was an elder aunt who had married the wealthiest merchant in Jin—with both wealth and powerful backing, who would dare steal from the Zhou family?
After arranging their quivers and hunting ropes, the four of them set off in a line. The mountain path was narrow, so Wei Rao took the lead as usual, with Huo Jue bringing up the rear.
When they reached a certain height, Wei Rao stopped and took three whistles from her pouch, distributing them to Zhou Huizhu and the others. "If we stick together, we'll make too much noise and scare off the game. Let's split up here, but don't go too far. If anyone trips or sprains an ankle, stay where you are and blow the whistle—the others will hear it."
Just as Huo Jue was about to speak, Zhou Huizhu cut him off. "Cousin, don't worry. This is how we usually hunt. This isn't the main peak of Cloud Mist Mountain, and besides our own sisters, outsiders rarely come here. Besides, look at our outfits—red, green, and blue—we stand out clearly in the snow. Just turn your head and you'll see each other."
Huo Jue had no choice but to relent. He asked Wei Rao, "Do you have a whistle?"
Wei Rao smiled and pulled a red cord from her collar—she had worn the whistle when she left home.
Huo Jue glanced at the sword at her waist, unsure whether it was a real weapon or just an ornament girls wore for fun.
Seeing her cousin's concern, Wei Rao smiled without a word, drew the sword, and with a seemingly casual flick of her wrist, sent it flying toward a locust tree about twenty feet away.
The tip embedded itself in a branch, the blade wobbling slightly before stabilizing.
Such force and accuracy were likely beyond the capability of an ordinary guard.
Huo Jue and Huo Lin stared at Wei Rao in astonishment.
Wei Rao went to retrieve her sword. Zhou Huizhu said with mixed emotions, "When Sister Rao was eleven, she fell into an ice hole in the palace due to a plot. Though she survived, she was left with a weak constitution. The emperor, pitying her, specially assigned a female master to teach her martial arts—both internal cultivation and swordsmanship. Now, not only has Sister Rao recovered her health, but her swordsmanship is also exceptional. Unlike me, who only learned a little bit."
Huo Jue was more concerned about something else. "Was the person who plotted against Raorao ever caught?"
Zhou Huizhu snorted. "A young palace maid was identified, but she killed herself."
Huo Jue's face darkened. That maid was clearly a scapegoat. However, in the palace, the only one who harbored such hatred for their grandmother's family was that person.
"Why haven't I heard Mother mention such a big incident?" Huo Lin whispered to her brother.
Huo Jue's gaze turned cold. "What good would it do to tell us? What could we have done?"
Huo Lin couldn't help but look at Wei Rao.
Wei Rao had just pulled the sword from the tree. Meeting the Huo siblings' complicated gazes, she guessed what Zhou Huizhu had said.
As for the incident four years ago, Wei Rao had never forgotten it, but she no longer dwelled on it. She was doing well now, and that was enough.
"We'll hunt for only one hour. Meet at the foot of the mountain when the time's up. The one with the most game can ask the one with the least to do something for her." Sheathing her sword, Wei Rao issued the challenge.Zhou Huizhu immediately said, "Since Sister Lin and I are younger, we'll form a team and count as one."
Wei Rao naturally agreed, waving to the three of them as she headed uphill alone, leaning on a hiking pole.
Although it had snowed, the day was quite warm. The pampered young masters and ladies had all come out of the city to play, and the small mountain creatures had also emerged from their burrows to forage.
Wei Rao was very familiar with this terrain. After walking alone for a while, she began to spot small animal tracks in the snow—mountain hares, pheasants, badgers...
The more remote the area, the more wildlife there was.
The snow had fallen last night and stopped around dawn. Judging by these tracks, they must have been made just this morning, with some leading directly to their owners' dens.
Wei Rao fixed her sights on the badger tracks. If she could hunt a whole badger family, she would surely win.
Following the small badger prints, Wei Rao remained alert for other prey, scanning her surroundings and listening intently while keeping her footsteps as light as possible.
As she walked, a flash of red caught her eye.
It was a fully grown red fox, evidently well-fed with glossy, sleek fur and a thick, long tail that looked exceptionally warm. The fox crouched in the snow with its back to Wei Rao, its front paws digging through the snow. The distance was still considerable, so it hadn't heard her approach.
From this range and angle, Wei Rao might miss her shot.
Observing her surroundings, Wei Rao tiptoed across damp grass patches free of snow, quietly advancing five or six steps before hiding behind a tree. The fox remained unaware. Drawing an arrow from her quiver, she nocked it, found the right angle, and aimed for the fox's left hind leg.
The fox let out a sharp cry, collapsing into the snow and flailing helplessly.
Wei Rao stepped out with a smile. Such a large fox—she could have its pelt made into a fox fur scarf by a craftsman. Sending it to the West Mountain Imperial Palace for her younger brother to wear this winter would be perfect.
After skillfully knocking the fox unconscious and tying it up, Wei Rao continued tracking the badger.
Sunlight filtered through the bare branches, and amidst the gray and white landscape, Wei Rao's red clothing became the forest's brightest color.
The badger tracks led higher up the mountain. Just as Wei Rao glanced toward the summit, considering whether to abandon the chase, the sound of beasts running wildly echoed from ahead—two of them, by the sound.
Chasing each other—were they playing?
Wei Rao looked up, temporarily stashing the trussed fox in a clump of grass before leaping into a tree. She nocked an arrow and prepared herself.
Two brown wild boars, each the size of a small hillock, came charging with about ten feet between them. Wei Rao's lips curved upward as her arrow struck the first boar.
The unfortunate boar stumbled forward with the arrow in it before flipping over and crashing into the snow.
Seeing the danger, the second boar turned to flee.
Wei Rao had already nocked her second arrow, but as she released it, another arrow suddenly flew from the opposite direction, striking the boar before hers could.
Startled, Wei Rao looked up and glimpsed a figure in celestial blue half-hidden among the trees, a pale, slender hand still holding the bow after releasing the shot.
Though she couldn't see his face, a moment's thought made it clear: both boars were his prey. She had merely stumbled upon them by chance.
Wei Rao jumped down from the tree, picked up her fox, and headed down the mountain.The two wild boars had been encircled through the combined efforts of Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai. Before Qi Zhongkai could descend, Lu Zhuo had been in close pursuit. When the first boar fell to an arrow, Lu Zhuo knew someone was nearby. He didn't particularly mind, proceeding to shoot the second one instead.
Two arrows struck the second boar almost simultaneously. Lu Zhuo gave a faint smile, already prepared to concede the prey to avoid unnecessary argument. Unexpectedly, the red-clad youth leaping down from the tree showed no intention of competing for it either.
"Young master, please wait."
Lu Zhuo stepped out from the woods at a leisurely pace, addressing the red-clad youth's retreating back.
Wei Rao halted. Why did this man's voice sound somewhat familiar?
Driven by curiosity, Wei Rao turned around.
Even in male attire, those striking brows and eyes, along with full, crimson lips, allowed Lu Zhuo to immediately recognize her true identity as a young woman.
Lu Zhuo lowered his gaze, the faint smile vanishing from his face as he pointed toward the first wild boar. "This one is yours."
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